STEPHEN WALKER FROM TADWORTH SENTENCED TO 29 YEARS FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN SURREY, FRANCE, AND MALTA

In a landmark case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Tadworth and beyond, Stephen Henry Walker, aged 68, has been sentenced to a substantial 29-year prison term following his conviction on multiple counts of child sexual abuse. Walker, who previously resided on Chipstead Lane in Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, was found guilty of a staggering total of 40 charges related to the sexual exploitation of at least 15 children spanning over four decades.

His crimes were uncovered after a detailed investigation that was initiated in March 2018, when one of his victims courageously came forward to report the abuse. As authorities delved deeper into the case, they uncovered a disturbing pattern of offending that revealed Walker’s strong sexual interest in children, particularly boys, although two of his victims were girls. The offences included a wide range of heinous acts such as sexual assaults, gross indecency with children, inciting children to commit acts of gross indecency, as well as attempted buggery and actual buggery of some of the victims.

Walker’s offending history stretched from 1966 to 2007, with most of the abuse occurring within Surrey. However, investigations also revealed that Walker’s predatory behavior extended beyond the UK’s borders, with abuse taking place in France and Malta, where he lived under an alias after fleeing the UK once the full extent of his crimes began to surface. His flight to Malta was a desperate attempt to evade justice, but he returned to the UK in October 2019, where he was promptly arrested on suspicion of child sexual abuse offences. Just two days after his arrest, he was formally charged and placed in remand custody.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Surrey police’s complex abuse team worked tirelessly to identify additional victims and witnesses. Their efforts resulted in the discovery of numerous victims, some of whom provided impact statements during the sentencing hearing. Many of these victims detailed the profound emotional and psychological scars left by Walker’s abuse, including struggles with addiction, psychiatric issues, and difficulties in forming healthy relationships.

During the court session, several victims bravely read their statements aloud or had their barristers do so on their behalf. One woman, now 66 and abused at age 11, expressed that “the pain has never gone away” and shared her feelings of guilt, believing she had allowed the abuse to happen. Another victim revealed that he had not spoken about Walker’s actions for over 40 years, describing how Walker’s manipulative words convinced him there was nothing wrong with what was done, framing it as a “child’s word against an adult’s.”

Other victims spoke of the lasting impact of the abuse, with one recalling how his love for football and desire to please Walker led him into a cycle of trauma. He explained, “It’s hard to explain what someone like Stephen does to you. He gets inside your psyche. He sexually abused me without a thought for the pain he caused to an innocent boy.”

A particularly poignant account came from a man who, believing that victims of abuse often become abusers, had distanced himself from his own children out of fear of harming them. Although he has since reconciled with his family and developed strong relationships, he lamented the irretrievable loss of his early childhood years, describing them as “irreplaceable.”

On the day of sentencing, Walker was brought into the courtroom but chose not to attend or listen to the impact statements. Judge Elizabeth Smaller described him as a “serial child sexual abuser” who deliberately targeted vulnerable children or those perceived as unlikely to be believed. The judge sentenced Walker to concurrent terms, with the longest being 28 years, complemented by an additional year on extended license. He will be required to serve a minimum of 14 years before he becomes eligible to apply for parole, marking a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for his numerous victims.